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A podcast all about going not just Beyond Solitaire, but beyond the board! Join your host, Liz Davidson, for interviews that touch on gaming history, historical games, and the cultural significance of the games we play.
222 Episodes
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This week on the pod, Jeremiah McCall returns to talk about the publication of his book, Designing History Games for Class. We also chat about his current educational designs, and about how he assigns game design projects to his students so that they learn more about history. https://gamingthepast.net/about/ Register for Kathleen Mercury's course, Deep Dive by Doing: https://cmichpress.com/product/course-registration-for-deep-dive-by-doing/ Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central M...
Welcome to Season 12 of the Beyond Solitaire podcast! To kick things off, Diana Toma from Meeple Foundry is here to talk about translation, graphic design, and building an international team to work on games. Register for Kathleen Mercury's course, Deep Dive by Doing: https://cmichpress.com/product/course-registration-for-deep-dive-by-doing/ Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be b...
For the Season 11 finale, designer and developer Adam Blinkinsop (@blinks.itch.io) talks about development for GMT, his approach to game design, and his current project: Echo from the Dark. P500: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1144-echo-from-the-dark.aspx I have a game of my own up on Gamefound right now! Check out Queen of Spies, a solo game I co-designed with David Thompson: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/saltandpepper/queen-of-spies The Cracked Mirror: https://cmichpress.com/product/fyov-...
This week on the pod, Ted Caya of Leder Games drops in to talk about his upcoming game, Take. Learn all about heists, why they are such oddly charming crimes, and how Ted translated that into board game form. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/take-game/take The Cracked Mirror: https://cmichpress.com/product/fyov-duet/ Art & System: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/central-michigan-university-press/art-system-games-for-expanded-play Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by ...
This week on the pod, Jaysen Headley, aka Ezeekat, drops in to talk about his live as both a booktoker and a maker of board game videos. And, more recently, his imprint with Bindery, which gives him the opportunity to bring cool books into the world. The Cracked Mirror: https://cmichpress.com/product/fyov-duet/ Art & System: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/central-michigan-university-press/art-system-games-for-expanded-play Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Mi...
This week on the pod, David Thompson and I had the illustrator for our game, Carlos Ureta, on to discuss his work with us. Thanks to him and to his colleagues at Meeple Foundry, our game looks great, if I do say so myself. Find him on Instagram at @carlosu.g to see more of his work. Queen of Spies comes to Gamefound on Dec. 4 and can be found here: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/saltandpepper/queen-of-spies The Cracked Mirror: https://cmichpress.com/product/fyov-duet/ Art & System: h...
Ricky is back on the podcast to talk about his recent work, our recent work together, and solo design in general! If you haven't checked out his channel recently, head over to Box of Delights on YouTube for some solo gaming goodness. The Cracked Mirror: https://cmichpress.com/product/fyov-duet/ Art & System: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/central-michigan-university-press/art-system-games-for-expanded-play Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University...
This week on the pod, Hannah Fair, who studies the way humans impact the environment, discusses an article she wrote about how islands and the humans who inhabit them are presented in board games. The article: https://islandstudiesjournal.org/article/84743-playing-with-the-anthropocene-board-game-imaginaries-of-islands-nature-and-empire Art & System: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/central-michigan-university-press/art-system-games-for-expanded-play Beyond Solitaire is proudly spon...
This week on the pod, Gonzalo Maldonado, one of the co-founders of Salt & Pepper Games, drops by to talk about how he became a game publisher and how his business has developed. (@saltandpeppergames.bsky.social) Salt & Pepper will be publishing David Thompson's and my second design, Queen of Spies. It goes live on Gamefound Dec. 4: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/saltandpepper/queen-of-spies Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Le...
In this episode, Rachel Billingsley drops by to talk about her work as Director of Marketing at GMT and what it's like to be part of a family wargame business. Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and compelling. Check them out here: https://www.cmich.edu/academics/colleges/liberal-arts-social-sciences/centers-institutes/center-for-learning-through-games-and-simulatio...
This week, Liam Liwanag Burke, designer of Dog Eat Dog, drops by to discuss his game. A new edition is on the way from Central Michigan University as part of their new Art & System series. https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/b2acaafc-6009-4565-9ef4-54b97b09e193/landing Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and compelling. Check them out here: https://www.cmich...
Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and compelling. Check them out here: https://www.cmich.edu/academics/colleges/liberal-arts-social-sciences/centers-institutes/center-for-learning-through-games-and-simulations Check out CMU's game offerings here: https://cmichpress.com/shop/ Sign up for an online game design class here: https://www.cmich.edu/academics/colleges/liberal-ar...
This week on the pod, I am joined by Pat Harrigan, who has published several academic volumes about games--most recently Zones of Control, which is co-edited with podcast alum Matthew Kirschenbaum. https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262547925/zones-of-control/ Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and compelling. Check them out here: https://www.cmich.edu/academics/colleges/...
This week on the pod, Professor Clifford Ando of The University of Chicago drops by to talk about the effects of cutting humanities programs. As historical games enthusiasts, we should care about this issue. One article: https://www.compactmag.com/article/the-crisis-of-the-university-started-long-before-trump/ Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and compelling. Check them ...
This week on the pod, Suzanne Sheldon (@425suzanne.bsky.social) drops in to talk about her work at Restoration Games, what it means to "restore" a game, and how to create an experience that really connects with players. Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and compelling. Check them out here: https://www.cmich.edu/academics/colleges/liberal-arts-social-sciences/center...
This week on the pod, Nigel Scarfe drops by to discuss how his company, Imagination Gaming, helps students learn both academic and emotional skills in schools--and how games can also improve life in other settings, including prisons. https://imaginationgaming.co.uk/ Art & System Backerkit: https://cmichpress.com/2025/06/10/new-game-series-art-system-games-for-expanded-play/ Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simul...
This week on the pod, Gabe Barrett, publisher of the Solo Game of the Month series, drops in to talk about how he maintains such an intense publication pace and about what makes a good solo game. https://bestwith1.com/ Art & System Backerkit: https://cmichpress.com/2025/06/10/new-game-series-art-system-games-for-expanded-play/ Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and c...
This week on the pod, Dr. Emily Friedman (@friede.bsky.social), an English professor at Auburn University, comes by to discuss her work on actual play and how it has become part of her scholarship and classroom practice. You can join her Patreon for free to read her posts: https://www.patreon.com/c/ecfriedman/home Art & System Backerkit: https://cmichpress.com/2025/06/10/new-game-series-art-system-games-for-expanded-play/ Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan Univers...
This week on the pod, J. Rey Lee (@jreylee.bsky.social), author of Unsettling Catan, drops by to talk about his upcoming book--which also happens to be the beginning of a new series of academic books focused on individual board games. Book: https://press.umich.edu/Books/U/Unsettling-Catan Witch Hunt/Making History Backerkit: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/central-michigan-university-press/witch-hunt-1649-making-history-a-game-double-feature Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Cen...
Welcome to Season 11! We are starting off with a delightful visit from Matteo Menapace, co-designer of Daybreak (Instagram: @ma.tteo.me). We talk about cooperative games, teaching game design, Matteo's future projects, and of course his experiences at the Spiel des Jahres last year. Witch Hunt/Making History Backerkit: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/central-michigan-university-press/witch-hunt-1649-making-history-a-game-double-feature Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Cen...
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